Train-wire connector.



A. l. FARRELLY & G. B. CQLEGROVE.

TRAIN WIRE CONNECTOR.

APPLICATION mm) szrnzz. mo.

Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. .l. FARRELLY & G. B. COLEGROVE.

Patented Dec. 7, 19l5.

I 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m w yw TRAIN WIRE CONNECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21. I910.

M 1 W 11 9 9 9 M A. .l. FARRELLY (I: G. B. COLEGROVE.

TRAIN WIRE CONNECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPI- 21, 1910.

Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

G'eogafi Cagma 21a,

ALBERT J. FARRELLY AND GEORGE B. COLEGBOVE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRAIN-WIRE CONNECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. t, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that we, ALBERT J. FARRELLY and GEORGE B. Connonovn, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in T rain-Wire Connectors, of which the following is'a specification.

This invention relates. to an improved train wire connector, and its purpose is to provide a device especially adapted for use in connecting the electrical conductors of the cars of a railway train, so that the corre-- sponding conductors of adjacent cars will be connected to form a continuous circuit when said cars are coupled together, while suitable conductors of the last car of the train will always be interconnected to maintain a complete circuit after the uncoupling of one or more cars from the train.

A further object is to provide apparatus whereby the above mentioned results may be accomplished automatically upon coupling or uncoupling the railway cars.

Another object is to provide a means for inter-connecting adjacent conductors on a car in such a manner as to form a very efficient contact, which may be quickly broken without causing deterioration to any of the parts.

Still another object is to provide means for disconnecting adjacent conductors on one car at thetime of the connection of those conductors with respective continuations thereof on another car; and we also arrange our apparatus for accomplishing this object automatically.

These and other objects of the invention will be more specifically set forth in the fol lowing specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which we have shown one specific form of the connector.

In the drawingsl*igure 1 is a diagrammutic, view of certain circuit connections with which our invention is adapted to be used. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the connecting devices which is attached to a car at one end thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another complementary connecting device which is attached to the other end of the same car, and which is adapted to form an electrical connection with aconnecting device of the form shown in Fig. 2 carried by another car. Fig. l is a perspec tive view of a holding clamp, by means of tier-engaging parts of the connecting devices carried by the adjacent cars. Fig. 8 is a sec,- tional view of the device shown in Fig. 2, taken on the line 88 of Fig. 11. Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 3, the section being taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 12. Fig. 10 is an elevation of the device shown in Figs. 2 and 8 with the rear face plate removed, this view being taken at right angles to the sectional view appearing in Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is a horizontal section of the device shown in Figs. 2, 8, and 10, taken along the line 11-11 of Fig. 8. Fig. 12 is a horizontal section of the device shown in Figs. 3 and 9, the section being taken along the line 13-13 of Fig. 9. Fig. 13 is a horizontal section of the devices shown in Figs. 2 and 3 when they are inter-connected with each other, this view being taken along the line 11-11 of Fig. 8, and 1313 of Fig. 9;.

and Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a retaining clip. M

In Fig. 1 we have shown a diagrammatic view of certain train circuit connections with which our improved connector is especially adapted to be'used, although it will be understood that it is capable of being used in other situations, and that this particular circuit connection is given merely for illustration and because it is preferred by us as being adapted to equalize substantially the voltages at the terminals of the various load members throughout the train. I

Referring to Fig. 1, the successive cars of a train are designated by the letters A, B C, the ends of the adjacent cars being designated diagrammatically by means of the dotted lines a,b, b-c, and c-d. The dynamo, or other source of supply, is designated by the numeral 19, and in this instance is located on car A, preferably near the head of the train. From this dynamo a conductor 23 leads from car to car throughout the train, being designated on car C the last car of the train, or the car farthest from the dynamo-by the numeral 23. A.

second conductor 22 also extends from car to car throughout the train, being designated on car C by the numeral 22 and the electric lights 24 or other electrical load members, are connected in parallel between this conductor and the conductor 23 leading from the source of supply. A third conductor 21, which is designated on car C by the numeral 21 forms a return circuit from the'end of the conductor 22 on-the last car to the other terminal of the dynamo 19. The connection between the conductors 22 and 21 on the last car of the train is formed by means of a connecting member 20 (a part of our improved connector) which forms an electrical connection between the continuations 61 and 59 of the conductors 22 and 21, respectively. Similar connecting members are carried at the rear end of each car of the train, but it will of course be apparent that thesemembers must be rendered inoperative on all of the cars except the last,

in order that the cars at the rear end will always be included in the circuit.

to car C, while at the same time rendering the connecting member 20, carried by car B, inoperative, so that the circuit-will be continued through'the conductor 21 and connecting member 20 carried by car C.

The end of each car nearer'the dynamo or source of supply is provided with a connecting device which comprises three engaging -members25, 54, and 56, formed of conducting material, which are preferably arranged side by side in a horizontal plane. These engaging members are inclosed and insulated from each other by an insulating casing comprising the parallel insulating members 35 and 36 and the end and intermediate insulating members 37, all of which are united by means of the screws 34. The engaging members 25, 54, and 56 are secured in place within this insulating casing by means of screws 32 and 34. All of said en gaging members project outwardly from the lnsulating casing. in which they are secured, and the engaging members 25 and 56 are tapered to a point at their outer extremities, as designated, for example, by the numeral 25. The intermediate engaging member 54 is grooved on its upper and lower sides near its outer extremity, as designated by the numeral 81, thereby forming an enlarged head 82 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The opposite enlarged extremities 31 of each of these engaging members are provided with suitable apertures 33, in which-the ends of the conductors 23 22 and21, for example, are adapted to be secured. A projecting finger 69, of insulating by the adjacent car at the end thereof farther from the dynamo; and for this purpose we provide another connecting device, shown, for instance, in Figs. 2 and 11, which comprises three pairs of tongues 26 and 27 55 and 55*, and 57 and 58, which are formed of conducting material and which have horizontally extending slots therebetween to re- I ceive the oppositely disposed engaging members 25, 54, and 56, respectively, carried by the adjacent car. In this construction the engageable members formed by the abovementioned horizontally extending tongues 26 and 27, 55 and 55, 57 and 58, are parts of or continuations of the vertically extending conducting bars 28, 61, and 59. The upper extremities of these conducting bars are provided with apertures 29,

which are adapted to receive the ends of the respective conductors 23, 22, and 21; and these conductors are secured in electrical connection with said bars by means of the studs 30. The engageable members and conducting bars above described are secured within an insulating casing formed of the vertically extending side members 42 and 42*, the rear face plate 40, the bottom plate 41, the front face plate 39, and the top cover plates 42 and 42, which are secured together by screws or other suitable means. The vertically extending conducting bars and the engageable members carried thereby are secured in place within this insulating casing by means of the studs 38 passing through the front face plate 39. The tongues 26 and 27 are insulated from the adjacent pair of tongues 55 and 55 by means of the block of insulating material 73, which is adapted to occupy the space 72 between the engaging members 25 and 54 when the latter are in engagement with said tongues. The space between the tongues 55 and 55 and the tongues 57 and 58 is adapted to receive the pro ecting insulating member 69, as will beprises an insulating block 68 having two series of flexible tongues or vanes 63-64 diverging outwardly from each side thereof ineaaea and uniting at the back of-said insulating block in a single member, which is secured to said block by any suitable means. The insulating block 68 is designed to reciprocate between the conducting bars 61 and 59,

and the flexible vanes 63 and 64 are designed.

faces. The connecting member 62 is maintained in position to reciprocate between the conducting bars 61 and 59 by means of a rod or pin 70, which is fixed in the insulating block 68, and which is adapted to slide in an aperture 71 formed in the insulating plate 42. The connecting member 62 is normally maintained in contact with the inclined surfaces of the conducting bars 61 and '59 by means of a leaf spring 66, which is insulated from the conducting bars just mentioned and secured thereto by means ofscrews 67. The end of thespring 66 bears. upon a suitable plate 65, which may be integral with the member 62 or suitably attached thereto. It will thus be seen that the conductors 22 and 21 at the end of the car farthest from the dynamo are normally interconnected to form a complete circuit, as above explained in connection with Fig. 1; but when another car is'connected in the train the insulating finger 69, carried at the end of said last mentioned car, will engage .the insulating block 68 and force the connecting member 62 out of contact with the conductingbars 61 and 59 at the same time that the engaging members, 54 and 56 pass into engagement with the engageable members formed integrally with said conducting bars, thus permitting the circuit to be completed from conductors 22 and 21 to corresponding segments or sections of the same conductors carried by the car last added to the train.

The insulated casing above described containing the conducting bars 28, 6 1, and 59 and their. associated parts, is held in place upon the body of the car by the clamp 43, which is secured to the car body by screws or other means engaging the holes 44 in the flanges of the clamp. 'The clampscrew=45 is threaded into the cross bar 46 of said clamp, and bears upon a block 47, which serves to press the tongues 26, 55, and 57 upwardly toward the tongues 27, 55, and 58. This clamping action'serves to effect a close contact between the said tongues and the engaging members 25, 54, and 56, when the latter are inserted between them. The block 47 is held in position and is guided in its movement by projections 49 from the ends thereof, which .move in slots 50 in the walls 42, 42 of the casing. The block 47 is also Drovided on its upper face with an 7 insulating strip 48 which serves to prevent electrical connection being made by said block between the tongues 26, 55, and 57. The clamp 43 is further provided with a projecting flange 51, which extends beneath the casing member .41, and serves to providea greater holding means therefor. A shoulder 51 .in the cross bar 46 serves to prevent the block 47 from becoming disengaged from said clamp. The clamp is also provided with a cross bar 53, which bears against the upper side of the upper casing member 42, whereby the clamping-action of the screw 45 tends to raise the parts against this cross bar.

i It will be seen that the above described clamping action will serve to efl'ectively retain the engaging members carried by one car in connection with the opposed engageable members carried by the adjacent car;'

but in order to make this connection more secure we have provided the engageable member 54 with the enlarged head.82, above described, which head is adapted to be gripped by the retaining clip 80, shown particularly in Fig. '14. This clip is secured to the conducting bar 61 between the tongues 55 and 55, as shown in Fig. 8.

, From the foregoing description it will be seen that when a car or a portion of-a train is removed from the main body of the train the circuit will be automatically completed on the last car remaining in the train by means of the connecting member 20 (or 62), which passes into position connecting the conductors 22 and 21 as soon as the insulating finger 69 passes out of engagement with the insulating block 68; It will be seen also that the connecting member 20 is normally in position to complete the circuit on any car which may be added to the train. When the car is added to the train the finger 69 operates to disconnect the conductors 22 and 21 on the car which was formerly, the last car of the train, and at the same time the engaging members 25, 54, and 56 pass into engagement with the engageable members formed with the conducting bars 28, 61, and 59, so as to complete the circuit through the car whichis last added to the train.

While we have shown a specific form of our invention, and one which is adapted for use in a particular circuit connection designed to equalize the voltage at the terminals of the load members throughout the train, it will be understood that parts of our connector may be duplicated, or taken away, or modified in form, as occasion may require without departing from the spirit of our invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1.111 a device of the class described, a

plurality of electrical conductors, each composed of a plurality of sections placed end to end, a connecting member engagmg a second connecting member to electrically connect adjacent sections of each respective conductor, and a reciprocable member detached from and slidably mounted with respect to two adjacent conductors, said reciprocable member being adapted to contact with said adjacent conductors and form an electrical connection therebetween when said connecting members are out of engagementwith -,each other.

2. In a device of the class described, a plurality of engageable conducting members of which two adjacent members are provided with. oppositely inclined surfaces, a

plurality of engaging conducting members each adapted to form a connection with an engageable member, a reciprocable member adapted to contact with said oppositely inclined surfaces on adjacent engageable members to electrically connect said adjacent engageable members, and means to move said reciprocable member out of contact with said engageable members when said engaging members pass into engagement therewith.

3. In a device of the class described, a plurality of conducting members each connected to a section of an electrical conductor, each member carrying a pair of tongues spaced apart and adapted to receivea plug carried by an adjacent section of the same conductor, whereby adjacent sections of each respective conductor are electrically connected, a movable member comprising angularly disposed flexible vanes adapted to contact with corresponding angularly disposed surfaces of two of said conducting members thereby electrically connecting two of said conductors, a spring adapted to normally maintain said movable member in contact with said conducting members, and a lug carried between two of said plugs, said lug and said movable member being that said lug will force said movable member out of contact with said conducting members when said plugs pass into engagement with said tongues.

4. In an electrical connector, two electrical conductors, a member reciprocable with respect to said conductors comprising a central insulating block adapted to project between said conductors and a plurality of inclined flexible vanes on each side thereof, said vanesbeing adapted to contact with correspondingly inclined surfaces on said conductors, a guide for .said reciprocable member whereby contact is made with both of said surface-s simultaneously, and means for making and breaking s'aid contact.

5. In a device of the class described, a plurality of engageable conducting members spaced apart, a plurality of engaging conso arranged ducting members each adapted to form an electrical connection with a respective enga-geable membu', a movable member comprising ang'ularly disposed flexible vanes adapt"d to contact with corresponding angularly disposed surfaces of and thereby electrically connect two of said engageable members, means to normally maintain said movable member in contact with said engageable members, and an insulated member carried by said engaging members, said insulated member and said movable member being so arranged that said insulated member will force said movable member out of contact with said engageable members when said engaging members are in engagement therewith.

6. In a device of the class described, a plurality of engageable conducting mem bers, a plurality of engaging conducting members each adapted to form an electrical connection with an engageable member, a slidably mounted V-shaped member-adapted to contact with adjacent engageable members to electrically connect said adjacent engageable members, and means to move said V-shaped member out of contact with said engageable members when said engaging members are in engagement therewith.

7. In a device of the class described, a pair of engageable conducting members spaced apart, a pair of spaced apart engaging members each adapted to form an electrical connection with one of said engageable members, a sliding block mounted to reciprocate between said engageable members, a connecting member carried by said sliding block and adapted normally to connect electrically said engageable members, and a member mounted between said engaging members and arranged to coact with said sliding block and thereby disconnect said engageable members when said engaging members pass into electrical connection with said engageable members.

8. In a device of the class described, a pair of engageable conducting members spaced apart, a pair of engaging conducting members each adapted to form an electrical connection with one of said engageable members, a separate slidably mounted connecting member movable in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axes of and acting normally to connect electrically said engageable members, and means movable with said engaging members for moving said connecting member out of contact with said engageable members.

9. In a device of the class described, a pair ,of engageable conducting members spaced apart, a pair of engaging conducting members each adapted to form an electrical connection with one of said engageable electrically said engageable members, a guide for said connecting member, and means movable with said engaging members for moving said connecting member out of contact with said engageable members.

10. In a device of the class described, a plurality of engageable conducting members of which two adjacent members are provided with oppositely inclined surfaces, a plurality of bers each adapted to form a connection with an engageable member, a movable member adapted to contact with said oppositely inclined surfaces on adjacent engageable members to electrically connect said adjamovesaid movable member out of contact with said engageable members when said engaging members pass into engagement therewith.

11. In a device of the class described, a pair of engageable conducting members engaging conducting mem-- spaced apart, a pair of engaging conducting members each adapted to form an electrical connection with one of said engageable members, a reciprocable connecting member acting normally to electrically connect said engageable members, said engageable members each being provided with a contact surface adapted to coact with said connecting member, a, guide for said reciprocable connecting member, and means to move said reciprocable connecting member-out of contact with both of said contact surfaces substantially simultaneously when said engaging members pass into electrical connection with said engageable members.

In testimony whereof, we have subscribed our names.

ALBERT J. FRELLY. GEORGE B. COLEGROVE. Witnesses:

HENRY A. PARKS, ANNA L. SAVOIE. 

